The One that got away
by cupcakes-and-wisdom
Summary: The unbearable pain of a loved one. The life of hurting and betrayal. Sirius and Marlene.


It was dark. Marlene was crying in her bedroom, in the dark. She was crying in the dark because she couldn't cry in the light. She was a pureblood. She had show them her perfect, emotion-less self. Her perfect, emotion-less self which she hated. Which she despised. She was only 8, for fuck's sake! Only bloody 8 years old, and already she was expected to be perfect.

She recalled the conversation she had overheard with James that afternoon. She had been playing quidditch with him secretly in the Potter's back yard, wearing James' too big jumper which reached her knees, in a vain effort that she wouldn't crinkle her dress.

As they had flown around, laughing and having fun, she heard her mother's crisp voice cut through the air like ice.

"I have no alternative." She was saying

"But think of the poor girl's fate! She'll have to put up with him for life!"

Mrs Potter's voice, she thought. Her and James landed their broomsticks and crept under the windowsill, wanting to hear more.

"Charlus and I have discussed it. We have arranged for her to be married to Sirios Orion Black when she comes of age. We have no choice."

"But…"

"It is the only way to keep her and Jack safe. The only way to keep our family going and keep us safe. We're a pureblood family, Dorea. You know that they have been pressurizing us into choosing a side. You also know that we will never join them, so this is the only way we can still be protected."

"The Blacks."

"Yes."

"Poor Marlene."

She felt James creep his hand into hers. The warmth was reassuring, and she knew that he knew what this was about. She had only understood that she was going to keep her family safe. And that was what mattered to her. That was what she wanted.

A couple days later, she had been called downstairs.

"Marlene McKinnon." Her father had said.

"We have great plans for you in the future. Tonight, we will be going to a dinner party. We want you to behave respectively and well. You will dress in your best dress robes, and you will behave like a respectable, pureblood, McKinnon."

She hadn't said much. The usual "Yes father." "Of course, Father" and all that what-not. But that night, when she met Jack downstairs, she was scared. She had never been to the pureblood parties before. Her parents had always told her how she was too young, and would be a nuisance. She hadn't really minded staying at home. The only thing she missed was the dancing. She loved dancing. Being a pureblood, she had taken dancing lessons, and ever since she was tiny, Jack would twirl her around in the kitchen, laughing and smiling.

As the entered the Malfoy Manor, she shivered. It was all so dark and creepy. She tightened her grip on Jack's arm and he smiled down at her reassuringly. When the house elf which had guided her there opened the big double doors, she gasped. There was a huge area of dance floor, surrounded by round tables with people sitting around them.

She didn't want to think about the rest of that night. The beginning had been great, aeting the good food, and then dancing with Jack. But then she came. She had to step on her foot as she waltzed by with her husband in law. She had to smirk horribly and then comment rudely to her every time she passed. Gradually, she felt herself shrinking, becoming scared. As jack twirled her round, she would catch a glimpse of her smirking face and shiver. Bellatrix Lestrange gave her the creepies.

After that dance, the night went downwards. She spilt her water over her dress robes, she stepped on a man's toes when dancing; and all the while she was afraid. So afraid.

She lay in her bed crying. What a terrible night. She had gotten the lecture when she got home. But she was only eight! She couldn't help it! Some people were scary. So she cried. Cried at how disappointed she was in herself, and cried at how she was scared.

Marlene Mckinnon sat down in her best friends' compartment, insisting she go the empty side because she had the longest legs. She stretched out her legs and sighed. Finally, Hogwarts. Her summer had been a disaster. Again, her mum whining at her about how she was too thin, how she was too plain, and what-not. She smiled as Alice told them about how she had punched a muggle kid in his face when he had asked her out. She said that her mum msde her keep her wrist broken for a week before using magic to repair it.

"why did she relent?" their other best friend, Lily, asked. Lily was a muggle-born, but still was the top at all classes at school. She was beautiful, with fiery red hair and big green eyes to complement her pale, freckled face. Marlene laughed as she thought of James' obsession with Lily. He insisted that he was in love with her, but she turned him down every day!

"because I couldn't do the washing up!" Alice replied, laughing. Alice was also a pureblood, but her mum didn't raise her in the pureblood way. Her dad had died when she was just 3, and she had always lived alone with her mum. She was pretty in a plain sort of way, dark, short hair and brown eyes. But she was a great person to be around, always fun, bubbly and hyperactive.

Both she and lily laughed at Alice's reply, and as they were laughing, the compartment door slid open. James came in and laughed as he looked at the seat arrangements.

"Can we sit here?" He asked, "everywhere else's full"

"Sure," Alice replied, "if you promise to throw a party after the first quidditch math"

James grinned and assured her that he would.

"Hey Marly, budge would you?"

she grinned and shook her head, replying that she was allright where she was. So James lifted her legs and put them back on him as he sat down. Just then, the rest of the marauders came in; Sirius, Peter and Remus. Remus sat down by Lily and started discussing their charms homework, while Peter sat by Alice and discussed their holidays; which left sirios to squeeze between Marly and the window. She snuggled up to James,and he stroked her hair protectively. James was like a second big brother to her.


End file.
